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Punggol Road Extension

A new road extension to the Punggol Central road was opened for public use on November 25, 2018. The road opening ceremony was conducted in the presence of several persons of eminence. MPs for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, including Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean were among those attending the road opening. The extension was declared open in front of a large gathering. Nearly 400 enthusiastic Punggol residents graced the event.

The extension road is a part of a much bigger expansion project undertaken by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Estimated at $185 million, the project aims at lowering the traffic gridlocks and hold-ups that have become commonplace on the KPE-TPE intersection. The primary objective of the project is to improve the overall traveling experience on the roads leading outwards from the north-eastern town of Punggol.

Several cutting-edge technologies like precast construction and virtual modeling have been incorporated into the planning and implementation of this project. The new age technology has also enabled LTA to get much of the work done in a fast and efficient manner with less harm to the ecology. Infact, much of the work is getting done way ahead of projected time, thanks to the use of innovative building and infrastructural methods put to use.

Previously estimated to open in the third quarter of 2019, the new road extension has been declared fully functional and ready for use almost a year ahead of the original schedule. This new extension road, though only one kilometer long, is a welcome respite for commuters using the expressways of Kallang Paya Lebar (KPE) and Tampines(TPE). The expressways have off late become a much-dreaded part of local commuting owing to heavy daily traffic congestions.

The newly opened extension road connects the Halus Link Road to the expressways thus linking the KPE to Punggol East. It is currently expected to ease traffic plying on KPE towards the ECP, and TPE that is moving to Changi, respectively. The Halus Link that is slated to open to eastward bound traffic from the TPE is estimated to be ready by the second quarter of 2019. This would further aid the traffic flow immensely when fully functional.

Local residents of Punggol have welcomed the project since the very beginning and are delighted to have the current stretch of extension road functional ahead of stipulated time. The recent mushrooming of new homes and the ongoing construction of various housing projects in the area is one of the prime reasons why the existing network of roads have turned the estate into a commuter’s nightmare.

Traveling in the area can be a harrowing ordeal on the currently existing road system. On weekday mornings, one could get stuck in the kilometer-long stretch of Punggol Drive for more than hour, especially during peak hours. The route to Pasir Ris via the TPE which can be traveled in an average of fifteen minutes on a clear road also usually cost the commuter more than an hour due to the excessive traffic jams.

The residents of Punggol hope commuting will now be less stressful and time-consuming with the opening of the new extension road.